10,000-dhak drumroll, 1,000 shankha, 3,000 drones welcome Durga to her earthly abode

Kolkata: The Eden Gardens came alive to the beats of 10,000 dhaks, the sound of 1,000 conch shells and uludhwani as the curtains went up on the Durga Puja festivities at the Eden Gardens on Mahalaya.Dancers from different parts of the state presented their traditional dance forms, such as chhau and raibenshe, while singers enthralled the 40,000-strong crowd, which converged on the stadium to mark the onset of Matri Paksha, with agamani songs and Rabindrasangeet. The sky lit up with a spectacular drone and laser show as well as fireworks, illuminating the horizon. The sky show was put up using 3,000 drones. The gallery at Eden Gardens was packed as more than 40,000 people joining the cultural show to welcome Durga to her earthly abode. Visitors started queuing up in front of Eden Gardens from 4 pm, about one-and-a-half hours before the beginning of the show. Around 40,000 traditional hand fans were distributed.The event was inaugurated by chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, governor R N Ravi and other ministers and dignitaries. As soon as the CM reached the venue, the sounds of conch shells, uludhwani and dhaks reverberated around the stadium, marking the start of the four-hour-long show. Fireworks went off, lighting up a slice of the night sky above the ‘Paradise for Cricket Fans’.Sayam Bhadra, grandson of Birendrakishore Bhadra, the legendary voice behind Mahisasuramardini, was felicitated by chief minister Adhikari.Samarjit Roy, a Hazra resident and a cricket enthusiast, said, “I have been visiting Eden Gardens since childhood to watch cricket matches but this is the first time that I attended a cultural programme at this stadium. This is a new experience in my life altogether.”Among the spectators were many who visited from adjacent districts to be part of the colourful event. Rakhi Patra from Midnapore said, “We have come to Kolkata only to watch this Mahalaya event. We reached Esplanade around 3 pm. We will return home once the programme ends.”Heavy police deployment created a ring around Eden Gardens and Red Road. Apart from managing the traffic, cops remained on their toes streamlining the crowd, and directing the visitors to their different gates for entry into the stadium. Those who had not managed a ticket earlier were seen gathered outside the Eden Gardens gates, hoping to get entry passes, so that they could catch a glimpse of what was happening inside. Police said these visitors, without entry passes, came directly from Red Road, where another cultural show was organised.On the two sides of Red Road, separate daises for the different districts of Bengal were built. Dance and folk performances unique to the districts were performed, such as ‘ghora naach’ from East Burdwan, Astak from North 24 Parganas, Bonbibi Pala from South 24 Parganas. The entire road was decked up with various objects, all colour-themed in bright red and cream. Small ‘Durga Puja festival’ flags were handed out to visitors.Jagannath Chaiyal, a folk artiste from Bongaon, who was at Red Road on request from the state govt, said he had participated in the post-puja carnival on Red Road till last year. “The two programmes are of different kinds. In the post-puja carnival, idols being taken through the road to be immersed in the Hooghly. Here, we are witnessing dance forms of various districts. This year’s event is more colourful,” he said.In this first pre-Durga Puja event on Red Road, the southbound flank was kept open to visitors, while the northbound flank was sealed off for the chief minister, ministers and dignitaries.Adhikari first arrived at the PWD tent, from where he went to Red Road. He chose to walk down Red Road, waving at the crowd on the two sides and at performers on the daises, built along the way. Indian cricketer Richa Ghosh, actors Rituparna Sengupta, Ankush Hazra and Oindrila Sen and cabinet ministers, including Sharadwat Mukherjee, Purnima Chakraborty, Agnimitra Paul and Umesh Rai, accompanied him.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kolkata | Silver Rate in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata | Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Petrol Price in Kolkata | Diesel Price in Kolkata | CNG Price in Kolkata | LPG Price in KolkataStay updated with the latest Kolkata news. Download the TOI App.